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$12.6 million for recovery in seven weeks

BEAVER, W. Va. -- Federal disaster assistance funding has reached $12.6million to help homeowners, renters, business owners, and government agencies in West Virginia recover from the June 2010 flooding.

The storms blew through between June 12 and June 29, bringing strong winds, flooding, mudslides and landslides. The event received a Major Disaster Declaration from President Barack Obama on June 24. In the trailing weeks the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) have worked with the State of West Virginia to approve the following funding:

$4.6 million FEMA home repair and rent grants

$300,000 FEMA and West Virginia grants to households for essential needs

$6 million FEMA funds obligated to reimburse state and local government agencies and certain non-profits for storm-related costs, with more being processed

$1.7 million SBA low interest loans to homeowners, renters and business owners

About 2,200 households have registered for assistance from FEMA. Disaster Recovery Centers helped 1,400 residents apply for financial help and find answers to disaster recovery questions, including how to rebuild safer and stronger.

August 23, 2010 is the deadline to register for FEMA help and to fill out and return the SBA Low Interest Disaster Loan Application. Call 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or TTY 1-800-462-7585 to register or visit www.disasterassistance.gov or m.fema.gov.

State and Federal officials are urging homeowners and renters who have received loan applications from the SBA to complete and return them by August 23 in order to continue the financial assistance process. If SBA is not able to approve a loan for a homeowner or renter, they may be referred back to FEMA for any possible grant assistance.

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.